9/25/2011

Braised Chicken Breasts in Tasty Mirepoix Ragout recipe.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
2 (32 fluid ounce) containers chicken broth

Directions
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour until completely coated. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven and fry breasts until lightly browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the onions for 2 minutes. Stir in the celery and carrots and cook for about one more minute. Season with garlic, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute.
Deglaze the pot with white wine, stirring until nothing is stuck to the pan, then pour in the chicken broth. Simmer for 90 minutes.
Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. The mixture should reduce considerably by this time so check frequently to see that the chicken is covered. Spoon baste if necessary. The ragout should have a stew like consistency when finished.

Boeuf en Croute recipe.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin filets
1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces fresh white mushrooms, minced
1/3 cup minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine
4 6-inch squares of frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
1 1/2 cups red wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (optional)
2 tablespoons milk (optional)

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Sear the filets until well-browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the filets from the skillet, and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Filets must be cold.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, and cook and stir the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic until the shallots are tender and translucent and the mushrooms have given off their juice, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of red wine, scraping and dissolving any browned flavor bits from the pan. Transfer the mushroom mix into a bowl, and chill in refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Place 2 pieces of puff pastry on a work surface, and top each with a chilled filet. Spread half the mushroom mixture in a neat layer on top of of each filet, and top each with a piece of puff pastry. Fold and pinch the edges of the pastry together, sealing in the contents, and trim to make a tidy package. Cut a small slit into the top of each package.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of red wine into a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer until the wine is reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Season wine sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, whisk egg into milk in a bowl, and brush the pasty packages with the egg mixture for a browner crust, if desired. Return the bundles to the refrigerator to keep cold.
Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the puff pastry bundles onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the filets are the desired degree of doneness (for medium-rare, about 15 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C)). Serve each filet in the pastry shell with spoonfuls of wine sauce on top.

Brownie Biscotti recipe.

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon water

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Dough will be stiff, so mix in the last bit by hand. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape into 9x2x1 inch loaves. Place onto baking sheet 4 inches apart. Brush with mixture of water and yolk.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, slice the loaves diagonally into 1 inch slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet, placing them on their sides. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until dry. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Broccoli Cheese Soup VIII recipe.

Ingredients
2 1/2 (16 ounce) packages chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cups half-and-half cream
4 cups water, divided
2 pounds processed cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cornstarch

Directions
Steam the broccoli in a steamer or in a colander over boiling water until tender and bright green, 15 minutes. Set aside.
In a large microwave safe bowl, combine half-and-half, 2 cups water and cheese. Cook in microwave until cheese is melted and smooth, stirring every 2 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook 2 minutes more. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining 2 cups water, stirring to dissolve. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the soup. Return the soup to the microwave, heating and stirring every 2 minutes until thick. Stir in broccoli; heat once more and serve.

Best Chilled Beets recipe.

Ingredients
3 (15 ounce) cans sliced beets
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup vinegar
12 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
25 whole cloves, tied in a cheesecloth bag

Directions
Drain the beets, reserving 1-1/2 cups of juice in a large saucepan. Add cornstarch to juice and mix well. Add beets and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, stirring often. Remove the spice bag. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Broccoli With Lemon Almond Butter recipe.

Ingredients
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

Directions
Steam or boil broccoli until tender, approximately 4 to 8 minutes. Drain.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. lemon zest, and almonds. Pour over hot broccoli, and serve.

Bandito Chicken Wings recipe.

Ingredients
12 whole chicken wings
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup French salad dressing
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions
Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons butter and oil. Fry chicken until brown, about 6-8 minutes on each side. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a saucepan, combine taco sauce, barbecue sauce, French dressing, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and remaining butter; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sauce is blended. Pour 1/2 cup over the chicken wings. Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Serve with the remaining sauce.